Described in 1998’s Halloween H20: 20 Years Later as a, “very posh, secluded private school in northern California,” the actual location of the structure (which doubled as the film’s fictitious Hillcrest Academy) exists less than four miles from the towering skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles, and its got a rather interesting history, both in the realms of horror cinema for its appearance in H20 (among other notable films), and in real life.
Located at 1923 Micheltorena Street in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles, the historic Canfield-Moreno Estate (as it was originally christened) was constructed in 1923. Designed by architect Robert D. Farquhar for silent film star Antonio Moreno (who would later go on to appear as “Dr. Carl Maia” in 1954’s classic film Creature from the Black Lagoon) and his wife Daisy Canfield (herself an oil heiress), the Mediterranean Revival architectural mansion sits on nearly five acres of land, with commanding views of the LA basin, and in the 20s upon its completion hosted many a lavish party, for both the Hollywood elite and high society.
The festivities didn’t last long however, as in 1933 Daisy perished in a car accident, her chauffeured vehicle having plunged from Mulholland Drive into the canyons below while returning from a social event. Following the tragedy, the estate saw many different incarnations, first as the Chloe P. Canfield School for Girls, and later in the 1950s as a convent for Franciscan nuns, who in the 1970s operated within its twenty-two rooms a home for young women.
Which brings us to 1998, which was both the year of release of Steve Miner’s Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, and also the year the estate was sold to Dana Hollister, who re-christened it The Paramour. Eschewing soundstages, much of the action in H20 was filmed within and on the grounds of The Paramour, which has also made appearances in such films as Wes Craven’s Scream 3 and Nicolas Winding Refn’s Neon Demon, and which most recently appeared in singer and religious leader Poppy’s music video for “Scary Mask.”
Today The Paramour serves in the capacity of not only a high-end boutique hotel, but also as a space for events, weddings and film shoots. Have a look here.
We’ve assembled a few photos of The Paramour, both modern and as it appeared in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, below.
The Ballroom at The Paramour
The Ballroom in H20
The Pool at The Paramour
The Pool in H20 (note: it was covered for filming purposes)
The Paramour’s Winding Drive
In H20
And here’s a few I snapped when we recently visited.
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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
Scream 3 (2000)
The Neon Demon (2016)
Poppy – Scary Mask ft. FEVER 333 (Official Music Video)